Thursday, July 6, 2017

When my sister-in-law became the Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill, I knew that it was just a matter of time before I took a trip to the Bronx to not only see her, but to also tour the school's public radio station WFUV. The time finally arrived over spring break and it was great getting a VIP tour of the long-time station (it dates back to 1947).

Little did I know that WFUV is an atypical public radio station in that it employees a large number of students to help out with many tasks, including video production, engineering, news, and sports. See my full report on Radio Survivor.

Monday, June 5, 2017

It was my good fortune to be in Philadelphia on the day that PhillyCAM officially launched its new low power FM community radio station WPPM-LP back in October, 2016. The long-time public access non-profit recently branched out into radio and is enjoying the benefits of operating both television and terrestrial radio outlets.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Last month I spent a fun day at Loyola Marymount University for the UCRN conference hosted by KXLU. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the Los Angeles-based FM radio station has a schedule full of creative programming, including weekend Latin music shows.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

A number of college radio stations serve as training grounds for a sister station on campus. That's the case at student-run KLMU at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. An online-only station with roots over AM carrier current, KLMU DJs have considerably freedom compared with their FM counterparts at KXLU. Part training station for KXLU and part student-haven, KLMU has around 50 participants who host a range of music and talk shows.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Back in college I was a WKDU listener, so I'd long been eager to visit the Drexel University college radio station. Lucky for me, I was able to tag along on a group field trip to the Philadelphia-based station during the College Broadcasters Inc. conference. The tour did not disappoint and the station was full of familiar college radio ephemera.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

On October 21, 2016, I visited Temple University in Philadelphia to see student-run, internet radio college radio station WHIP. With around 100 volunteers, the station has a long history with sports broadcasts and has more recently been getting buzz for its news coverage, particularly during election season. An online station since 2007, WHIP began was first conceptualized in 1997 and originally broadcast over very low power FM on campus.

Friday, April 21, 2017

On my first day in Virginia last month, I toured a few college radio stations in Richmond, including University of Richmond's student-run radio station WDCE. The FM station has a funky basement home and is made up of both student and non-student DJs and hosts. The descendant of a carrier current radio station that launched in 1960, WDCE still has some participants who've been at the college radio station for decades.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

After years of declining student participation at WTJU, its General Manager had the novel idea of starting up a brand new college radio station that would be 100% students. Now known as WXTJ-LP, the student-run station started out as an online-only endeavor, but as of April, 2016, has also been broadcasting terrestrially over low power FM (LPFM) in Charlottesville, Virginia at 100.1 FM.

Monday, April 17, 2017

The descendant of a carrier current radio station that launched at University of Virginia in 1947, WUVA celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2017. Now in the final moments as a commercial FM station operated by WUVA, Inc., the station is being sold, with proceeds being used to fund WUVA's online news operation.

WNUW sign at the Neumann University college radio station. Photo: J. Waits

One of the newer low power FM (LPFM) radio stations, WNUW-LP broadcasts from beautiful new studios on the Neumann University campus in Aston, Pennsylvania. Originally an online-only station, Neumann Media jumped at the change to have a terrestrial signal in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

I spent my St. Patrick's Day immersed in college radio culture at the WTJU-hosted "College Radio: Then, Now and Next" symposium at University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Following the event, I popped by the station for an evening tour. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, WTJU operates as a community radio-college radio hybrid, with a small percentage of students, particularly in recent years, after the founding of student-run sister station WXTJ.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

While in the Bronx over spring break two weeks ago, I took some time to visit a few radio stations, including Lehman College Underground Radio. Located at City University of New York (CUNY)'s Lehman College, the station is full of artifacts from its more traditional radio past; although it's more focused on DJ mixes and live events today.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Even though it was my first visit to Colonial Williamsburg, my focus was entirely on college radio station WCWM at the College of William & Mary. Part of a historic town and college, the station itself embraces history, lovingly archiving vintage vinyl and station ephemera. The lobby walls are covered with vinyl LPs and DJs draw from the extensive CD collection as well.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

College radio station WXJM was a must-visit station for me, as I'd long been aware of the DIY festival, MACROCK, that the station launched 20 years ago. Although the music event is now run by a separate organization, WXJM staffers are still quite involved with MACROCK every year, including the 2017 edition, which is coming up in a few days.

Today, WXJM is housed in the back of James Madison University's public radio station, although its operations are worlds apart. Run by students, WXJM embraces under-represented artists and is a champion of the Harrisonsburg, Virginia music scene.

During my Virginia travels, I took a road trip to University of Mary Washington's college radio station WMWC. Located in Fredericksburg, the streaming radio station is the descendant of a carrier current campus station that launched 71 years ago in 1946. Today, WMWC is still full of fascinating artifacts from the past, including old boards, cart machines, and an instant replay machine.

My March 18, 2017 visit to Richmond Independent Radio (WRIR-LP) was a treat for many reasons. First of all, I met a fellow Haverford College radio alum and second, I learned about WRIR's important role in the history of low power FM. A LPFM station from the first licensing window, WRIR has been on the FM airwaves in Richmond, Virginia since 2005.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

I'm just back from a trip to Virginia for a college radio symposium. Along the way, I visited nine college radio stations, including WVCW in Richmond, Virginia. The student-run college radio station at Virginia Commonwealth University has a fascinating history and is the descendant of an earlier campus radio station that launched 50 years ago.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

I squeezed in a bunch of visits to Philadelphia-area radio stations during my trip to the College Broadcasters Inc. (CBI) conference last October. My first stop, WYBF at Cabrini University (aka Cavalier Radio), is an interesting station, as it's been sharing its FM channel with Villanova University station WXVU (see my tour here) for 25 years. Although it streams online 24/7, Cavalier Radio broadcasts over FM on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays and on part of the day on Sundays.

Monday, March 6, 2017

My final radio station visit during my journey to Arkansas last October was a trip to low power FM station KUHS-LP in Hot Springs. Host station for the 2016 Grassroots Radio Conference, KUHS-LP is a new LPFM, having launched in August, 2015. The solar-powered station is home to an interesting mix of music and talk programming, from hip hop to vaporwave.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

On October 7, 2016, I visited long-time community radio station KABF-FM in Little Rock, Arkansas. Launched in 1984, the 100,000 watt station has as its mission to be the "Voice of the People" and it is closely aligned with social justice movements. Volunteer DJs and hosts produce a wide range of music, public affairs and news programs and some of that programming is made available to community radio stations all over the country.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

My Arkansas travels continue with a trip to see college radio station KUOZ-LP at University of the Ozarks in Clarksville. Launched as a low power FM station in 2003, KUOZ is the descendant of a radio history on campus that dates back to the 1980s. With close ties to the campus television station, which is just down the hall from KUOZ, the radio station has a broad line-up of music, public affairs, sports and news programming.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

On my first day in Arkansas during my October, 2016 visit, I wrapped up my night with a trip to new low power FM (LPFM) community radio station KPSQ-LP in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Located on the third floor of the Chancellor Hotel, the station plays a mix of local and syndicated music and talk shows, including programming from Pacifica.

Last summer, I had a fun trip to see community radio station KCHUNG in Los Angeles. The streaming and unlicensed low power AM station has deep connections with the arts community and airs a range of freeform music and talk programming. Also notable for its funky digs above a Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown, KCHUNG has drawn a diverse collection of show hosts and solid partnerships with Los Angeles arts organizations.